Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

Del Rey | 30 June 2020 | 320 pgs
Source: Library 

To begin with, Mexican Gothic was a refreshing read to me in so many ways. A Gothic horror/mystery set in the 1950s in a desolate Mexican countryside and a feisty, opinionated heroine to boot. How could I say no? 

So the book opens with our heroine, Noemí Taboada, heading her way towards High Place (a distant house in the Mexican countryside) after receiving a letter from her newly-wed cousin asking for help. The content of the letter was vague and seemed to be written with a sense of urgency; and most of all, it was so unlike of Catalina's characteristic to be voiced out in that way. Intrigued and also upon insistent nudging by her father, Noemí knew she has no other option but to make the trip to find out herself. 

Now Noemí is a chic young woman who has been living in the city all her life, so she immediately finds herself at a loss once she's set her foot into the countryside; and most especially the Doyle's family (with the exception of Catalina, of course), who sees her more like an annoying outsider who refuses to abide by their house rules. Noemí is not a stubborn and unreasonable woman to begin with, but she does find some of their house rules strange and even ridiculous to some extent. Seeing Catalina in person didn't answer her questions as Catalina appears to be weaker and frailer than she's thought and she couldn't pinpoint the mysterious health condition which implicates her overall well-being. That said, Noemí has reservation regarding Catalina's mental health. After all, the Doyle's family members behave strangely and in addition, the house gives out a creepy vibes that Noemí begins to have bad dreams. Could these be the reasons which affect Catalina's condition and why she reaches out for help? 

I've to say this was very much an atmospheric and a character-driven kind of story and a slow-burn in terms of actions. The author took her time in developing the plot, but the characterisations and the intrigue were quite well executed as the story progresses that it took your mind off of the slow buildup until the big reveal eventually came and hit you in the guts. There are family history and dark secrets surrounding this story, but there are also the creepy house and some weird, bizarre elements which render this as a horror, too. The descriptive writing was another strength of this book and it was easy to get lost in the enigmatic High Place as it exudes both beauty and terror under different circumstances. My only complaint was I wished it was much richer in culture and more history surrounding the countryside village.

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